Question: Why can't we spend our money now? Will it be lost? Answer: All funds are frozen for the time being, but 90% of media funds MUST be spent at the school where the FTE is earned and can only be spent on items for the media center, so the funds will not be lost. When funds are made available, media specialists might want to have POs ready in case funds are frozen again.
OPAC Shortcuts
Question: We would like to have OPAC shortcuts on computers in our classrooms. How can this be done? Answer: ITS can create a login script that will automatically add the shortcuts to the desktops, but "all users" in the school must be given permission to the folder on the server in order for them to access it. Currently, in most of our schools, on the checkout and patron accounts have this access.
Satellites
Question: Our school currently does not have a satellite for instructional programming. Will funding be allocated for those schools that do not have one? Answer: Instructional content delivered via satellite is considered an "old" technology. Schools can currently access United Streaming via the Internet to gain access to instructional content. More and more of the resources that have traditionally been offered via satellite re now or will be accessible via the web, so funding will not be allocated to provide satellites to schools. Note: As a system, we have been and will continue to look at content servers as a means of distributing instructional content to the classroom from a centralized or school-based server. WMS is currently piloting one at the request of ITS, and you can contact Jennie Persinger for more information.
Subscription Databases
Question: Will there be efforts to provide funding for subscription databases? Answer: All schools have access to databases through Galileo. Follow up question - Is there an inherent need for other databases that Galileo's collection does not meet? What are they?
Promethean Boards
Question: Will training be provided or is there training available for the Promethean boards?
Answer: All middle school math teachers will be offered face-to-face training through the UGA ETTC. The training for these teachers will be paid for through central office funds.
However, there are other training options.
#1 - Promethean offers basic online training - You can find the instructions for accessing the training module here.
#2 - Atomic learning also had instructional videos for the Promthean Activ software Version 2 - teachers currently have version 3, but they still might be useful. At this time the Atomic learning site is not working, but I will provide a link when it is.
#3 - Schools can contract with the UGA ETTC to offer Promethean Board training for $100 per person for 1 PLU.
#4 - I (Caroline O'Bannon) will be going through Promethean training with the math teachers and I will be able to provide assistance with the boards once I have been trained, which begins in early November.
ITS Questions
Question: Can we have a member of ITS attend our meeting? Question: Can we have one person in the school that ITS trusts to have local admin rights and have the ability to thaw and refreeze computers? Answer: As of this writing, I do not have an answer, but I will discuss these issues with ITS. However, I can say that trust is a big issue. Once admin rights have been best
PL Funds
Question: Can we get funding for media specialists to attend GAETC?
Answer: I realize this is one among many funding issues, and I can bring this up at budget time to see about allocating funds for this conference.
FYI - I am attending GAETC 2007 and I will be happy to provide a short recap of some of the more interesting / important things learned there. I can also develop a short session (1 - 2 hrs or more depending on the content) to re-deliver particular sessions of interest. All would be for hours toward PLU credits.
Table of Contents
Q&A 10/31/07
Status of Media Funds
Question: Why can't we spend our money now? Will it be lost?Answer: All funds are frozen for the time being, but 90% of media funds MUST be spent at the school where the FTE is earned and can only be spent on items for the media center, so the funds will not be lost. When funds are made available, media specialists might want to have POs ready in case funds are frozen again.
OPAC Shortcuts
Question: We would like to have OPAC shortcuts on computers in our classrooms. How can this be done?Answer: ITS can create a login script that will automatically add the shortcuts to the desktops, but "all users" in the school must be given permission to the folder on the server in order for them to access it. Currently, in most of our schools, on the checkout and patron accounts have this access.
Satellites
Question: Our school currently does not have a satellite for instructional programming. Will funding be allocated for those schools that do not have one?Answer: Instructional content delivered via satellite is considered an "old" technology. Schools can currently access United Streaming via the Internet to gain access to instructional content. More and more of the resources that have traditionally been offered via satellite re now or will be accessible via the web, so funding will not be allocated to provide satellites to schools.
Note: As a system, we have been and will continue to look at content servers as a means of distributing instructional content to the classroom from a centralized or school-based server. WMS is currently piloting one at the request of ITS, and you can contact Jennie Persinger for more information.
Subscription Databases
Question: Will there be efforts to provide funding for subscription databases?Answer: All schools have access to databases through Galileo.
Follow up question - Is there an inherent need for other databases that Galileo's collection does not meet? What are they?
Promethean Boards
Question: Will training be provided or is there training available for the Promethean boards?Answer: All middle school math teachers will be offered face-to-face training through the UGA ETTC. The training for these teachers will be paid for through central office funds.
However, there are other training options.
#1 - Promethean offers basic online training - You can find the instructions for accessing the training module here.
#2 - Atomic learning also had instructional videos for the Promthean Activ software Version 2 - teachers currently have version 3, but they still might be useful. At this time the Atomic learning site is not working, but I will provide a link when it is.
#3 - Schools can contract with the UGA ETTC to offer Promethean Board training for $100 per person for 1 PLU.
#4 - I (Caroline O'Bannon) will be going through Promethean training with the math teachers and I will be able to provide assistance with the boards once I have been trained, which begins in early November.
ITS Questions
Question: Can we have a member of ITS attend our meeting?Question: Can we have one person in the school that ITS trusts to have local admin rights and have the ability to thaw and refreeze computers?
Answer: As of this writing, I do not have an answer, but I will discuss these issues with ITS. However, I can say that trust is a big issue. Once admin rights have been best
PL Funds
Question: Can we get funding for media specialists to attend GAETC?Answer: I realize this is one among many funding issues, and I can bring this up at budget time to see about allocating funds for this conference.
FYI - I am attending GAETC 2007 and I will be happy to provide a short recap of some of the more interesting / important things learned there. I can also develop a short session (1 - 2 hrs or more depending on the content) to re-deliver particular sessions of interest. All would be for hours toward PLU credits.